Wigwe University to start academic programmes September

Wigwe University is set to officially commence academic activities next month.

Founded by the late Chief Executive Officer of Access Bank, Dr. Herbert Wigwe, the private university will formally launch operational activities on September 18 for the 2024/2025 academic session.

The Acting Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Marwan Al-Akaidi, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday.

Prof. Al-Akaidi said students would be admitted into faculties of Engineering; Science and Computing; Management and Social Sciences; and the Arts for the first phase of the academic take-off.

The academic pointed out that the Board of Trustees, Governing Council, and other stakeholders of the institution are working hard to sustain the university and fulfil the vision of its founder, Wigwe, who passed away with his son and wife in a helicopter accident in the United States early this year.

Sitting on 600 hectares and situated in Isiokpo, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State, with a capacity for 11,400 students, 400 faculty, and staff, the university is expected to onboard 2,500 students, with staff recruited from across Europe, North America, Asia, and Africa.

Al-Akaidi, formerly the institution’s Dean of the College of Science and Computing and Deputy V-C (Research and Innovation), listed the completed facilities at the university to include a gas-powered power plant that will provide 24-hour uninterrupted electricity; IT infrastructure; classroom blocks; students’ hostels; faculty buildings; admin block; and sporting facilities.

“We shall receive our first set of students into the university on September 18 and 19 for reception, but parents are welcome to visit the campus from September 5.

“Lectures will begin on September 21. We are fully ready with our world-class facilities to receive the students,” he said.

According to the Acting V-C, the institution was established to transform tertiary education in Africa and empower the continent’s youths to lead the charge in global leadership, innovation, and progress.

“We are building a culture of innovation, providing students with practical skills, including critical thinking, problem-solving, and leadership,” he added.